Automatic lighter for gas stoves



W. F. ROGERS AUTOMATIC LIGHTER FOR GAS STOVES sept. 27, 1932.

Filed Feb. 8', 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 27, 1932. w. AF. Rosi-:RS

AToMATIc LIGHTER RoR @As sTovEs 2 sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 8, 1932 lilW 'ffl/l. Il lll A M,

` Patented Sept. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC LIGHTERFOR GAS STOVESv Application led ll'enruary 8, 1932. SeralNo. 591,471.

This invention relates to automatic lighters used in connection with gasstoves.

Such devices usually include a pilot of the non-flashing type, abovewhich is a hood having channels for conducting to the pilot gas issuingfrom the burner. In stoves equipped with such devices, the gas isignited immediately upon the opening of any one of the burnervalves and,if the flame is accidentally extinguished, the gas is automaticallyre-gnited. One of such automatic lighting devices is shown in Patent No.1,841,399

issued January 19, 1932.

rlhe automatic lighters heretofore in general use, however, have notbeen entirely satisfactory because their constructions were conducive tothe deposition of carbon inside of the pilot hoods and for the furtherreason that no proper means was provided for ventilating the hoods.

In all automatic lighters of this general type, when a burner is inoperation, some of the ignitedv gas issuing from the burner isconstantly passing through the pilot channel leading to the hood. It is,therefore, of importance to provide suitable means for conducting theheated gases away from the pilot hood and out of the burner box.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an automatic lighterhaving improved means for conducting the heated gas away from the pilothood; to provide a burner of simple construction which is adapted toproduce a blue flame so as to avoid deposits' of carbon resulting fromincomplete combustion; and to provide a burner of this kind which isparticularly adapted for use as the pilot in connection with automaticlighters.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the.yaccompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan of agas stove to which an improved lighter is i applied.

Figure 2 is a vertical section of the burner box of the stove; the viewbeing taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse section,

'0 taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figures 4 and 5 are enlarged details of the pilot pipe.

Lighters embodying this invention may be used on gas stoves of manydifferent types and, therefore, the accompanying drawings merelyillustrate those portions of a burner box which will be helpful inunderstanding the invention. I

In the form shown, the stove includes a burner box 1 having a front wall24and rear Wall 3 which support the usual burner top 4 provided withremovable grates 5. Extendlng along one'end of the stove, is a supplypipe 6 connected to a manifold 7, which is. located in the forward partof the burner boX. Suspended from the manifold, are the customary valves8 having handles 9, and rearwardly projecting nozzles 10. Mounted withinthe burner box, is a pair of horizontal' rods 11 which support burners12. Four burners are illustrated but it is to be understood that theimproved lighter may be used in connection with any number of burners.

The rear burners have mixing tubes 13 and the front burners have mixingtubes 14 extending forwardly to the valve nozzles.

The improved automatic lighting means herein shown includes a pilot tube15 having its forward end communicating with the manifold 7 and havingits closed rear end supported in a bracket 16 secured to the rear partIof the burner top. This pilot tubeis disposed between the burners, asillustrated in Figure l, so as to provide pilot lights for all theburners. Formed in this tube, are two small apertures 17 providing gasoutlets. One of these apertures is located between the rear burners andthe other aperture is located between the front burners. at the forwardend of the pilot tube is adapted to control the amount of gas enteringthe tube for regulating the size of the pilotflames. The two pilotlights, when once adjusted, are intended to burn with uniform flameswithout flashing, because the amount of gas passing through the pilottube is not increased when the burners are automatically ignited.

Formed in the upper surface of the pilot tube, are narrow slits orgrooves 19, which f intersect the two outlet apertures-17 to pro- A setscrew 18 n vide primary air passages. In the absence 0f such airpassages, the pilot lights burn with a yellow fiame and, as a result ofthe incomplete combustion, carbon is deposited on the tube. It has longbeen common practice to provide the main burners with mixing tubeshaving open front ared ends to admit a supply of primary air so as toproduce a .blue flame at the burner. However, the pilot tubes heretoforein use have been constructed without any thought of premixing the airand gas.

In order to obtain `the desired results, the grooves 19 should be sonarrow as to prevent the formation of a flame therein. These grooves ineffect form mixing chambers for the air andgas, and the flame commencesat the outer surface of the tube, as illustrated in Figure 5. With sucha construction, there is a thorough admixture of the air and gas in thegrooves, resulting in complete combustion and blue flames.

Mounted directly above the pilot tube, 1s a roof member 20 which ispreferably a metal casting providing a series of gas passages leading tothe pilot lights. The rear end of this member is seated in an opening 21in the bracket 16 and the front end thereof rests on a shelf 22 of theburner top and is provided with a lug 23 projecting downwardly throughan opening 24 in the shelf. A cotter pin 25 may be inserted through thelug 23 to secure the member 20 against accidental dis lacement.

ntegrally formed on the lower side of the member 20, is a pair oftransversely disposed arms 26 of inverted V-shaped cross section whichprovide channels 27 for conducting, to the pilot lights, gas issuingfrom the burners. The central portions of these arms are enlarged toprovide curved walls 28 defining chambers 29 for the pilot flames.

The curved walls 28 are provided with openings 30 through which a matchmay be inserted for lighting the pilots. Recesses 31 are formed in thelower edges of the walls 28 to receive the pilot tube 15.

Integrally formed on the member 20, is a pair of inverted cups 32located directly above the pilot chambers 29, and spaced 'slightly fromthe upper edges of the walls 28 to permit free circulation. Theseinverted cups 32 and the curved walls 28 form hoods l for the pilotlights.

construction herein shown, this is accom-- The main gas burners areprovided with lateral passages 33 adjacent the outer ends of thechannels 27 whereby some of the gas will be conducted to the pilot flamefor ignition as soon as the burner valve is opened. While the burnersare in operation, flames issuing out of the passages 33 frequently reachthe ilot hoods and, therefore, it is very desiralile to provide somemeans for conducting the hot gases away from the pilots. In the plishedby means of achannel 34 which is formed in the lower side of the roofmember 20. The channel 34 is co-extensive with the .p member 20 and itcommunicates with both of the pilot hoods so as to be adapted to conductthe hot gases to the rear end of the burner box for discharge throughope-ning 35 in the rear wall 3.

In operation, the gas mixture issuing from the passages 17-19 is ignitedso as to provide two pilot lights which burn continuously with bluefiames within the chambers 29. To ignite the gas at any one of the mainburners, the corresponding valve 8 is opened, whereby some of the gaspasses through the outlet 33 and is conducted by one of the channels 27to one ofthe pilot flames. When the gas is ignited, the flame ignitesthe gas issuing from the remaining apertures of the burner. Due to thefact that the rear end of the channel 34 is unobstructed, the heatedgases are free to pass rearwardlyfrom the pilot hoods for 1kdischargethrough the rear end of the yburner ox. f

With this construction, the lighting is entirely automatic upon theopening of any one of the burner valves. Moreover, if the flame at anyburner is accidentally extinguished, as for instance, by liquids fromthe cooking utensils, the escaping gas will be immediately re-ignited.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been hereinshown and described, it will be understood that details of theconstruction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from thespirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A stove comprising a burner box, a gas burner, a pilot in said burnerbox, a hood above said pilot, means providing a channel for conductingto said hood gas issuing from said burner, and a support for said hood,said support being 'formed to provide a channel extending from said hoodto one wall of said burner box to permit the escape of heated gases.

2. A stove comprising a frame having a burner box, two pairs of burnersin said burner box, a pair of pilots located between said burners, a barsupported in said burner box,

hoods formed on said bar above the respecfrom said hood to one side ofsaid burner box to permit the escape of heated gases.

4. A stove comprising a burner box, a gas burner, a pilot in said burnerbox, ahood having an lmperforate top above said pilot, means providmg achannel for conducting to said hood gas issuing from said burner, and asupport for said hood, said support providing another channel extendingfrom said hood to one side of said burner box to permit the escape ofheated` gases.

5. A stove comprising a burner box, a gas burner, a pilot in said burnerbox, a hood having an imperforate top above said pilot, means providinga channel for conducting to said hood gas issuing from said burner, andmeans providing another channel extending from said hood to a pointspaced from said burner.

6. A stove comprising a burner box, a pair of gas burners, a pilotlocated between said burners, a hood above said pilot, means providingchannels for conducting to said hood gas issuing from said burners, andmeans providin another channel extendin from said hoo to one side ofsaid burner ox.

7 A stove comprising a burner box, a pair of gas burners, a pilotlocated between said burners, means providing channels for conducting tosaid hood gas issuing from said burners, and means providing anotherchannel extending from said hood to one side of said burner box, all ofsaid channels being open at their lower sides substantially throughoutthe lengths thereof.

8. A stove comprising a burner box, two pairs of gas burners, a pilotlocated between the burners of one pair, another pilot located betweenthe other two burners, hoods above said pilots, means providing channelsfor conducting to said pilots gas issuingfrom said burners, and othermeans providing another channel communicating with both of said hoods.

9. A stove comprising a burner box, a pair of pilots, a pair of gasburners located on respectively opposite sides of each of said pilots,hoods above said pilots, a supporting member for said hoods, saidsupporting member defining a channel providing communication betweensaid hoods, and arms formed on said supporting member and defining otherchannels arranged to conduct to said hoods gas issuing from saidburners.

10. A stove comprising a burner box, a horizontal pilot tube having apair of spaced pilot openings therein, a pair of gas burners onrespectively opposite sides of each of said pilot openings, a top memberlocated above said pilot tube and extending longitudinally thereof so asto form a protecting cover for said tube, and hoods l formed on said topmember directly above said pilot openings, said top member definingchannels for conducting gas from said burners to said hoods,

said top member defining a channel located directly above said pilottube for conducting heated gases away from said hoods.

11. A stove comprising a burner box, a pilot tube having a pilotopening, a pair of burners on respectively opposite sides of said pilotopening, a horizontal top plate located above said tube, and a hood onsaid top plate directly above said pilot opening, said top platedefining channels for conducting to said hood gas issuing from saidburners, said top plate having a channel disposed directly above saidpilot tube and extending longitudinally thereof for conducting heatedgases away from said hood.

WALTER F. ROGERS.

